2010 Map of Fence Lake SW

About this map

Santa Rita Mesa dominates this western Cibola County landscape, where the pattern of water resource management defines the settlement of the high desert. This 2010 survey documents a ranching infrastructure heavily dependent on strategically placed water sources, including the isolated Semi Lonesome Windmill, Medanoso Windmill, and Escojeda Windmill. The presence of the Cox Ranch and the Carter Well suggests a continuity of land use in a region where surface water is scarce, primarily limited to ephemeral drainages. The topography is carved by significant channels like Nations Draw and Tejana Draw in the southeast, while Largo Creek skims the southwestern corner. These features reflect the arid environmental challenges and the sparse, utilitarian nature of human habitation in the Fence Lake area during the early 21st century.